Megaselia gerdakahlerae, Henry & Bøggild, 2019

Henry, R. & Bøggild, Esben, 2019, Fourteen new species of scuttle flies (Diptera, Phoridae) from Denmark, Zootaxa 4543 (1), pp. 63-89 : 68-71

Megaselia gerdakahlerae sp. n.

( Figs 45–53 )

Material examined. Holotype male, DENMARK, DK EJ, Nørre Onsild mose (= bog), 21.v.–5.vi.2017, Esben Bøggild (CUMZ-8-182).

Description. Male. Frons as Fig. 45 and with dense fine microtrichia. Cheek with 4-5 bristles and jowl with 2– 3 only slightly longer. Postpedicels ( Fig. 47 ) without SPS vesicles. Palps and ventral face of proboscis as Fig. 47 . Thorax brown. Three notopleural bristles, with no cleft in front of these, and mesopleuron as Fig. 48 . Scutellum with an anterior pair of small hairs and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites brown with small hairs that are only slightly longer at rear of T6. Venter gray, and with hairs on segments 3–6. Hypopygium brown, with a pale anal tube and epandrium with numerous hairs which are a little longer than those on cerci and proctiger ( Fig. 49 ). The hypandrial lobes are vestigial with convex hind margins, the right one having microtichia on its lower face but the left being bare ( Fig. 49 ). The penis complex as Fig. 50 . Legs brown but not dark, the front legs being more yellowish brown. Fore tarsus ( Fig. 51 ) with posterodorsal hair palisade on segments 1–4 and 5 clearly longer than 4. Dorsal hair palisade of mid tibia extends about 0.52 times its length. Hairs below basal half of hind femur longer than those of anteroventral row of outer half ( Fig. 52 ). Hind tibia with a dozen differentiated posterodorsal hairs, without anterodorsals, and spinules of apical combs simple. Wings ( Fig. 53 ) 1.10 mm mm long. Costal index 0.39. Costal ratios 5.22: 1.54: 1. Costal cilia (of section 3) 0.06 mm long. Vein 3 with hair at base 0.04 mm long. With 2 unequal axillary bristles, the outer being 0.08 mm long. Sc not reaching R1. Haltere brown.

Recognition. In the key of Lundbeck (1922) to Group III, it runs to couplet 2, where it is intermediate between the two options. For lead 1 to M. aculeata (Schmitz) , then only known as the female, the hypopygium of the subsequently described male ( Schmitz, 1958) is different. In the key to the males of the British Isles ( Disney, 1989) it runs to couplet 48 where neither lead applies along with several excluded species running to the same couplet. A note suggests trying couplet 60 if both options don’t apply. One then proceeds to couplet 98 where neither lead fits and the subsequently added M. sollii Disney (2015) has a different hypopygium. In Abteilung III of Schmitz (1958) it runs to couplet 27, where the hypopygia are different.

Etymology. Named after Gerda Kähler, who with her brother Carl, founded 15-juni-fonden, a foundation that has helped Esben Bøggild purchase microscope equipment to facilitate his studies.

Figures

FIGURES 45–53. Megaselia gerdakahlerae sp. n. male. 45. right side of frons. 46. palp. 47. ventral face of proboscis and postpedicel. 48. mesopleuron and notopleuron. 49. ventral face of hypopygium. 50. penis complex. 51. front tarsus. 52. hind femur. 53. basal half of wing.